Mentoring and Tutoring Systems

In order to support its students, the University of Lisbon is currently developing Mentoring and Tutoring programmes at its 18 Schools.

The importance of Mentoring and Tutoring systems in welcoming, accompanying, motivating and training new students in Higher Education has been duly studied and documented. These systems can play a crucial role in students' effective integration, promoting a reduction in failure and dropout rates.

Although not all Schools share the same definitions of Mentoring and Tutoring, it can generally be said that Mentoring consists of a peer support programme between students, with a view to promoting integration into a new teaching context and/or a new community. Tutoring is a programme of support for students, provided by teachers or other non-peers, with a view to promoting academic success and integration.

Within the scope of the programme, the aim is to create the conditions for all ULisboa Schools to have a Mentoring and/or Tutoring programme. In this regard, various actions are promoted to progressively support the implementation or development of these programmes. These initiatives involve events aimed at sharing good practices, with proposals for structuring programmes and consultancy sessions. Systems of cooperation and exchange, that already operated organically and informally, are integrated and encouraged.